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Humid or Arid?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Humid or Arid? 💦 🌵 Today’s Featured Product! 🥳 Baseball Cap Quick Dry New!! ZUKKA Tandem For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Which is tougher: humid, or arid? Arid can get really bad, as this video shows; especially when arid goes with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I feel parched merely thinking about it. Humid presents its own set of problems. Overnight low temperatures near 80 degrees, coupled with high humidity, send the heat index soaring. By 1:00 pm today, that heat index was 101 degrees.  Your sweat can’t evaporate in humid conditions; so it sits on your skin and makes you feel even hotter. Arid means that perspiration evaporates; but you’ll need to drink even more fluid. Cure-all? 💊 So, is hydration a cure-all? Humid or arid, we can’t afford to ignore it. I know this much, though. Water alone doesn’t cut it, especially in hot weather. Don’t forget the electrolytes! Too much water without electrolytes risks hyponatremia; a condition far worse than bonking. Bonking usually isn’t fatal; hyponatremia can be. I once asked my doctor about using salt tablets during long, hot rides. They said that they don’t recommend salt tablets for people not being treated for low blood sodium. So, humid or arid, I’ll keep using the hydration pack and take along some Propel. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Settled In

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Settled In 🥵 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Ergodyne Chill Cooling Vest New!! Adult All-Terrain MountainTrike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Summer seems to have settled in; and the season began officially only yesterday! Last week we began to get frequent heat advisories; and it’s rather tempting to contemplate sitting in front of a fan while pedaling a mini-trainer. At least we’re getting a break from the rain; but on the other hand, less cloud cover means more intense sunlight. But Summer has settled in; and as the saying goes, the only way out out is through. Keeping Cool 🪭 I keep coming back to this one — what to do about keeping cool? Ride early in the day, obviously; and don’t forget the cool rag. Remember to hydrate.  This reminds me of the Tour de France, where stages don’t begin until late morning. I don’t envy those riders; the heat can reach levels that have me, for one, doing a short, slow ride. Or none at all. It makes me feel like such a weakling! I’m sure not training up for Le Tour; and I’m glad I don’t have to. It’s easy to think of Grand Tour riders as masochists of the first order. But they’ve built up to it for years. Even so, as the climate  heats up, would it be better to have Le Tour during a cooler season? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER

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Chop Chop Chop!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Chop Chop Chop! 🪓 Today’s Featured Product 🌟 Cycling for Beginners New!! Teeter Free-Step Cross Trainer For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I remember my mother using the expression, “Chop, chop, chop!” to mean, Get going! when she wanted us to get something done. I didn’t get to do any such “chopping” during RAGBRAI last July. That famous pink bus was always near the end of a day’s route; and invariably, I had just eaten and wan’t hungry. If I get to do RAGBRAI again, I hope I can try Mr. Pork Chop. The cooked meat cuts aren’t delivered; and they’re cooked on-site only, so I can’t order any to eat at home. Heat Advisory 🌡️ Mondays I usually take off from riding; but the next day I’ll need to chop-chop-chop and ride ahead of the heat. A cool rag helps; but all the same, I like to be home before any heat advisory go into effect. We didn’t get heat quite like this when I was a kid. In particular, I don’t remember overrnight  low temps of 80 degrees until I was at least 20 years old. Now, it’s quite the usual. So it gets harder and harder to keep cool. If only I had a shady path to ride!  This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Electrolyte Season

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Electrolyte Season ⚡️ Today’s Featured Product! ☄️ Planet Bike Seat Leash New!! Cybervelo Electric Adult Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s electrolyte season, for sure. Whether your go-to drink is Gatorade Zero  Glacier Cherry or something else, electrolyte drink is a must on hot days. I sure wished I had it on the way home from the salvage store this morning. The distance was only about 5.5 miles; but it was already very hot before 10:00 am. There was a strong wind as well. The two bottles of water I had brought for the round trip, were barely enough! I got home just about the time that a heat advisory went into effect; and I immediately mixed up a serving of that Glacier Cherry! I was glad to be indoors by then; and this is why I say that it’s electrolyte season. Timing Matters ⏱️ Timing matters, especially if you ride during hot weather; and I’d go to the salvage store earlier if the store opened earlier. As they don’t  unlock the doors until half-past eight, I’m not heading home until nine o’clock or so. By then, it is HOT! Weather permitting, I’d like to head for Walmart tomorrow; and I’m glad they open at 6:00 am! That should mean a slightly cooler ride. I’m thinking of using the Camel-Bak, even though Walmart is a little closer than the salvage store; and for sure I”ll take Propel or something. It’s electrolyte season, after all. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Whirlwind

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Whirlwind 🌪️ Today’s Featured Product! 🚀 Yuwell Blood Pressure Monitor New!! Skidmore’s Leather Cream For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! What a whirlwind of weather we got early this morning! After days of dire-looking forecasts, it all came at once. First, my cell phone woke me at 4:40 am with a tornado warning. Nothing happened except for some rain and thunder; so I checked the weather online. The local forecast didn’t show a tornado warning. I went back to bed. At 6 am, another tornado warning came through; this one for a location about 12 miles to the West; and 15 minutes later, a tornado was reported right here in Orleans Parish! As it turned out, that one was 6 or 8 miles from here; and it resulted mostly in tree damage. I’m glad it wasn’t worse!   Blow Me Away? 💨 The wind could blow me away today.  Gusts are still up to 23 mph; and we’re still under flash flood watch. It looks like more rain isn’t expected for the next few hours; so maybe I can get out for a few miles. And hope another whirlwind doesn’t “whirl” up; This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Here Comes Number One!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Here Comes Number One 🌀 Today’s Featured Product! 💥   UV Long Leg Sleeves   New!! VELMIA Bicycle Saddle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Here comes number one already; and I don’t mean protein bars. Tropical Storm Arthur is out there. It seems early for such activity; but then again, hurricanes have formed before the official season begins. As of now, it looks like Arthur will go inland at the Texas/Louisiana border; and steer Northeast over central Louisiana. Apparently we’ll be spared a direct hit; but I expect we’ll still feel some effects from Arthur. Here comes number one; and I hope successive hurricanes don’t follow too closely. Meanwhile ⏳ Meanwhile, how about riding? Can I ride tomorrow morning? If the weather is bad, I might have to wait much longer than five minutes! Late this morning, I got a text from the local power company. It warmed that severe weather is expected later in the day; but as of mid-afternoon, it hadn’t arrived. Maybe it will move in overnight, and into tomorrow morning. This morning I rode out about 5.5 miles; and planned to head from there to the park to ride some laps. On my way to the park, the wind gusts got really strong; and I decided it was wiser to go home. And … nothing happened. Weather drives me crszy!   This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Wait and See

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Wait and See 🔮 Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 HH Hofnen Ponytail Hat New!! Retrospec Apollo-Lite For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m tired of all this wait and see regarding the weather. The forecast might say one thing in the morning, and by midday it says something else; so who knows what’ll happen? I feel like I’m trying to squeeze in some miles between one rainy spell and the next. And I’m always on guard about lightning! Tomorrow morning might be OK for a good ride; but as usual, I have to wait and see. Extra Weather Worries 🙁 Now we’ve got extra weather worries. That trough in the Bay of Campeche has become a potential tropical cyclone! It’s very close to land; so it might have trouble developing. I hope so; and I hope the local weather lets me ride. Today I made it short; and I tried pushing the pace against the wind a few times. I need more of that! I hope I can ride long tomorrow, so I can bank some miles in case that proto-tropical storm does come to something. Meanwhile, I’m glad I’m not located in a low-lying neighborhood. Heavy rain is possible; but I can’t say when it might arrive. Wait and see — again. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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What’s Coming?

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

What’s Coming? 🤔 Today’s Featured Product! 👍 JJ Keller Safety Vest New!! EUROBIKE 29″ For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I never know what’s coming. The weather forecasts change so fast, it sometimes seems like there’s no point in trying to keep track.  The threat of T-storms might keep me from riding; and then nothing happens! Today it rained hard for a short time, but nothing to make flooding seem likely; and I didn’t hear any thunder. At the moment, things don’t look good for tomorrow morning’s ride; but I’m not sure I want to attempt a ride just now. The heat index is 92 degrees; and the UV index is high, too. Soon it will be getting late to go for a ride today, anyway; and since I’ not sure what’s coming, maybe I’ll stay in. Those Tropics! 😤 Those tropics are exasperating; as with local weather, I don’t know what’s coming. I’ve been watching the trough that first emerged in the Bay of Capeche a few days ago. It’s moving at a crawl; I could probably ride faster! But it’s gotten somewhat stronger; and I’ve got to keep watching it. I hope I can get out tomorrow for a ride. I need some hard efforts; but with T-storms possible, I think I’ll ride in the park. That’s not a good place for speed work! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Difficult Planning

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Difficult Planning ✍🏻  Today’s Featured Product! 👏🏻 BALEAF Men’s Sleeveless Jersey New!! Bike Basket Front For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’ve got some difficult planning to do; not for the first time. How do I plan a week’s rides when the forecast is stormy? It’s helpful to be able to decide I’ll do X on a certain day; and Y the next day. Bad weather can easily derail such a schedule. And if the threat of T-storms means difficult planning when you’re at home, it’s harder if you’re on a bicycle tour.   Day by Day 🌅 Here I go again, planning day by day. At least this week, I don’t have to worry about getting in a ride around both rain and doctor’s appointments. That’s a help; but it’s getting so hot now that afternoon rides are not a good idea. If I were preparing to do RAGBRAI, however, I’d need to start doing afternoon rides. Just a few miles at first; and gradually longer distances. The mere thought makes me feel hot — the heat index at the moment is 99 degrees! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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My World Is Shrinking!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

My World Is Shrinking! 🌎 Today’s Featured Product! 🏮 Smart Bike Tail Light New!! WTB Volt MTB Saddle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My world is shrinking, for sure. They say all the time that it’s a small world; and I’m inclined to believe it. This morning, while waiting for the salvage store to open, I was chatting with another customer. It turned out that they ride with my attorney! As I rode home, it seemed even more that my world is shrinking. A pair of riders caught up with me; the same ones with whom I rode a few miles in 2024. At the time I was just learning about the Big Ride in Iowa; and they’re regulars at RAGBRAI! Wish List 📋 Who doesn’t have a wish list? Not that I have a death wish — far from it — but at present I sure wish I had a trainer that fit my hybrid’s rear wheel. The forecast for next week shows a lot of nasty weather! At the store, another customer mention that a lot of heavy rain is expected; and T-storms are also in the picture. Needless to say, that’s not good weather for cycling! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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